Martin Palumbo

Placements on MTV and CBS

Martin Palumbo - Mountainside, NJ, USA
Martin reports, “My latest deal is having two of my songs, ‘First Strike' and ‘One Flag' used in the MTV show, Ridiculousness. These songs are two of the four I sold to a record label that specializes in vintage music, a few years ago. I got the deal with the label after submitting to a listing in TAXI. Another one of those songs, ‘You Fools.’ has since been placed in the CBS crime drama, Interrogation.

What I like most about TAXI is the way it makes it relatively easy to get your music out there. I'm a ‘part-timer.’ I have a day job. So, the time I can spend on promoting my music is limited, unfortunately, so TAXI works for me.”

Congrats, Martin! We’re very happy for you, and thanks for letting us know about these great placements. Please keep us in the loop when others happen.

Anthony Zarlengo-Reyther

Landed a record deal

Anthony Zarlengo-Reyther - Denver, CO  USA
Here’s a nice note from Anthony: “In August of 2023, my Denver-based heavy metal band, Immortal Sÿnn, had our music forwarded to a record label in the UK through TAXI. After a series of emails and Zoom meetings, we inked a deal with the label to have our upcoming singles and EP released through them. Immortal Sÿnn has been a member of TAXI for many years, and have had our music forwarded many times, most recently to an independent horror movie. But, this is the first time that a forward converted to a deal!

The best part of TAXI is the Road Rally conference, for sure! It’s an invaluable wealth of information and opportunity!”
 
Congratulations to you and your band mates, Anthony! Please keep us posted as to what happens upon the release!

Mark Miller

Three children’s songs signed

Mark Miller - Brentwood, TN, USA
Here’s a nice email from Mark, “TAXI is the real deal... I love what you guys do for composers and all music people!! Within the first four to five weeks of starting my TAXI membership, I had five songs forwarded to music library clients. I believe everybody needs to read carefully over and over exactly what the client is looking for before submitting material. Michael Laskow (TAXI’s CEO) stresses that a lot in his information videos, he knows what he's talking about.
Now, the good stuff!!! The TAXI screener forwarded all four of my submissions, and the music licensing company signed three of my songs! I'm in the process of putting together the requested masters they need and signing their contracts. I live in Nashville and I’m planning to go to the upcoming TAXI Road Rally in November!”

That’s great news, Mark, congratulations. It sounds like TAXI is working well for you, and it’s bringing in great results. We can’t wait to hear more, and we look forward to seeing you at the Rally! 

Robina Ritchie-Barker

Landed a deal at TAXI’s Road Rally

Robina Ritchie-Barker - Duncan, BC, Canada
Here’s an awesome bit of news from Robina after she attended the 2023 Road Rally, last November: "Thanks for getting me to the starting line! :-) This deal was a thrilling surprise!
I thought I’d give a big shout out and a huge thank you to the entire TAXI crew for the amazing Road Rally that netted me my first music library contract! I’m a sync musician, also working on TrackStage, a software for sync musicians, with my husband. Last year, we attended the Road Rally to connect with fellow sync musicians and improve our product. This year, my husband managed TrackStage, and I joined as a musician. I knew the Road Rally would be good for networking, but I kept my expectations in check as this was the first time I’d ever submitted music to the panels. I submitted a few songs and I was thrilled (and slightly terrified) when my piece ‘Exodus’ was randomly chosen to be played. The panelist had wonderful feedback, and while I was pleased that finally my music was being heard and appreciated, I assumed that was as far as things would go this time around.
 
But last week one of the panelists reached out to me and signed not only ‘Exodus,’ but another of my songs! Now, I’m composing my first orchestral trailer for him. Thanks to TAXI, this process was streamlined.

I’m truly excited that I’ve finally ‘broken the seal’ and have started building a positive industry relationship - something that would have been exponentially more difficult to get started had it not been for TAXI and the Road Rally panel. I’m a big fan of TAXI for the tremendous value it gives its members, whether through networking, watching TAXI TV, or learning how to get very specific when writing for the briefs. And the Road Rally? Well, there’s nothing like it.
Thanks again for all the great work you do!”

Congratulations, Robina! We’re very happy that you found the networking at the Road Rally to be so productive. Hats off to you for coming to the Rally! So many people wait for years, and then regret not doing it sooner ;-)

Chris Nelson

Just signed an exclusive deal

Chris Nelson - Rockmark, GA, USA
Chris wrote to tell us, “I've only been a TAXI member for a couple of months and have received several forwards, which surprised me! Yesterday morning, I woke up to an offer to sign a contract for one of my forwarded songs with an exclusive music licensing company for my country song, ‘Feelin’ Alright.’ The upbeat country song depicts the joys of finding love while living a simple country farm life. I am overwhelmed with joy at how this one song has received several forwards in just a few short months as a TAXI member. I was thrilled to sign my first deal, thanks to TAXI!

I’ve also just found out that the company is signing 10 more of our songs, so that makes a total of 11 songs that have been signed!

Additionally, three of my other songs were recently forwarded for potential licensing deals. Just this week, two more of my more “rocking” country songs were forwarded to a music row publisher for an up-and-coming country music star working on his new record! While my songs are enjoying tremendous success on Spotify and social media, I am ecstatic about recently finding TAXI and all the doors that are quickly opening for my music. I am still learning the ropes of all the TAXI tools available and can’t wait for my first Road Rally. Needless to say, I was super excited. Thank you, TAXI, for helping get my music recognized!”

Congratulations, Chris! That’s a great story, and please let us know as more of those tracks get signed, and ultimately placed in TV shows or films. And please let us know if that forward to the Music Row Publisher results in a Country cut!

Stanley Swiniarski

Music in 270 episodes of 72 TV series

Stanley Swiniarski - Dracut, MA, USA
Stan sent in some great news, “I just had four circus/carnival instrumentals signed exclusively by a new (for me) company: ‘Lipizzaner March,’ ‘Waltz Above the Ring,’’'Clown Waltz,’ and 'Strolling the Midway.' I’m proud to say that I’ve been pitching my music through TAXI since about 2007 and signed my first deal in 2009. A lot of the relationships I’ve built and placements I’ve had for my work have been through TAXI over the years.

To date I’ve had music spanning over 270 episodes across 72 series. I even had one of my country songs released as a single by a new Nashville artist, all thanks to TAXI.

Some of my other more recent placements include: America’s Got Talent, Alien Encounters, and Real Housewives. The resources available through TAXI - the Road Rally, The Forum, critiques, and the entire TAXI community have all proven invaluable to me. What I especially love about TAXI is the wide range of pitching opportunities. It has allowed me to step out of my comfort zone, put my musicologist hat on and expand my range of genres and styles, making me more well-rounded as a composer and producer.”
Congrats, Stanley! Great news and thank you so much for letting us know about these. Keep up the great work!

Stephen Wood

Another deal resulting from the Rally

Stephen Wood - Seattle, WA, USA
Stephen emailed to tell us about another deal he recently signed after the Road Rally: “I've been very busy with a few short film scores, teaching, and developing some sync licensing albums. I've been seeing lots of great TAXI listings as well! My main reason for emailing now is to give some great news! As a result of attending my first Road Rally (2023), I’ve signed my first licensing agreement with a prominent production music library.

I became a member of TAXI in late 2022. Throughout the year I immersed myself in the TAXI listings, composing new music every week. I took all the critiques to heart from the non-forwards making sure I learned from each one. A few of my tracks were forwarded to libraries and supervisors. My personal colleagues and mentors started encouraging me to attend the Road Rally and to trust what TAXI was saying about the conference. So I did and it worked! I made tons of new connections and ended up signing my first library contract!

Now, eight of my tracks (which wouldn't have been composed if it weren't for TAXI listings) are now signed and active.

After one year of membership and hard work with TAXI, I've had a few forwards, signed with an exclusive library, and learned more than I ever have at any academic institution. I'm excited to see what the next year with TAXI brings! Thank you very much for all that you do and providing great opportunities above and beyond your own specific briefs. Your A&R team’s feedback has been the major factor in my development over the past year. That composing and production development, along with my Road Rally participation, directly resulted in my first library contract. Very inspiring to keep working throughout the next year while still submitting to TAXI.”

Congratulations on signing with a great company, Stephen! We’re so happy that you came to the Rally as a newbie! Many people wait years to attend, and then regret not doing it sooner!

Andrew Smolin

Signed a deal for Happy-Clappy tracks

Andrew Smolin - Brooklyn, NY, USA 
It was great to hear from Andrew about his signing: “It was the ‘Happy Clappy’ brief a few months back. Soon after the brief closed, the CEO of a great company emailed asking to license it exclusively. Now I'm on the CEO’s mailing list and I get briefs from him once in a while. I haven't seen any results yet, but it's cool to have a few tracks in a library.

TAXI’s briefs and deadlines give me a real, concrete idea to work on with a deadline. Deadlines are important to me because they force me to finish on time. I can have trouble doing that.”

Todd Bordonaro

Four deals signed on numerous tracks

Todd Bordonaro, Bronx, NY, USA
Here’s some great news from Todd… “I'm fairly new to TAXI, and in 2022 I attended my first Road Rally. I met someone the first night at the bar hangout. We hit it off immediately, and I sent a few tracks for review. I ended up signing a contract and have since created 12 tracks for that company.

My goal at the 2023 Road Rally was to do more networking. I met two other music licensing executives and signed contracts with both of them, as well. I’ve now signed four deals as a direct result of attending the Road Rally! I’ve also been collaborating with some fabulous musicians I’ve met at your conference, and the tracks we’re producing go to the companies I've made deals with through TAXI. My feeling is, if you don't attend the Road Rally conference, then you're only getting a small part of what TAXI has to offer. Looking forward to the 2024 Rally!”

Keep those deals coming, Todd! We’re very proud of all that you’ve accomplished, and we’re honored to have played a part in that success!

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